Red Sunset
by TCIF
Summary: sequel to Close to His Heart
1. Chapter 1

_Friday Morning, 6 am, Goren-Reynolds Residence_

Goren stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around him. As he stepped into the bedroom, he noticed that his girlfriend, Rena, had laid out a suit and shirt for him. Smiling, Goren began to get ready for the day.

Goren walked into the kitchen still adjusting his tie. Coffee was already brewed, and his favorite mug sitting on the counter ready to go. Goren poured his coffee, and sat at the table, picking up the morning edition of the Ledger. Glancing at the headlines, he sat the paper to the side. Rena, his live in girlfriend, handed him a muffin. His smile became wider. He loved these homely little touches.

Rena drank on her orange juice, and checked her watch. "About ready to go?"

Goren nodded. "Let me get my holster and weapon and we can head out. Are we still on for tonight?"

Rena beamed. "I'm ready. I picked up my dress yesterday at the cleaners and left it at the office. So I won't be the one holding us up." Her knowing glance at Goren made him squirm a bit.

"Eames and I have meetings all morning with the District Attorney's Office all morning, and then Eames is scheduled for court this afternoon. I doubt Ross will assign any new cases to us today, especially since we're suppose to be off the next two days." Goren added a mental threat to Ross if he did assign them anything today that would alter his plans for the evening.

Rena rinsed her glass out in the sink. She picked up her briefcase and purse, "I'll meet you in the car."

Goren continued eating the muffin on his way to their bedroom. Opening the closet door, he typed in the code for the gun safe, and waited for the safe door to open. He holstered his weapon, and then reached back into the safe, and pulled out a black box. Whistling happily, he put the box in his pocket and headed out to the car and the day ahead of him.

_Friday Night, 8 pm, Outside Il Mulino Restaurant_

Darkness blanketed the sky, yet in New York, true darkness rarely fell. The lights from business, cars and street lamps kept the eternal darkness at bay. The cool wind blew around the buildings and cars, reminding New Yorkers that winter's approach was not far away. Water stood on the streets, reflecting the light of the city back out to those who walked along the sidewalks.

A light misty rain continued, clinging to everything. As Goren drove them to the restaurant, he quickly changed plans. Turning his head slightly to Rena, "I'm going to let you out in front of the restaurant."

Rena nodded, "Alright. What time is our reservation again?"

Goren slowed to a stop in front of the restaurant's door, "8:30, but we may not get seated until later."

"That's alright; I still get to spend the evening with you. And we don't get many of those do we?"

Goren kissed her cheek, "See you in ten minutes." Once Rena stepped out of the SUV and closed the door, he drove off to park. Before getting out of the car, he reached into the glove compartment and pull out the black box he had put there this morning before arriving at work. He slid the box into his jacket pocket, patting it slightly for security. He locked the door and walked down the street back to the restaurant.

Rena stood by the door under the awning, and waited for Bobby. Despite the chilly weather, she was anticipating a wonderful evening with him, provided his cell phone didn't ring. She silently threatened Capt Ross if he should decide to call Bobby tonight. She fidgeted slightly waiting for Bobby to return from parking the car. Finally, she saw him across the street walking towards her. He stopped almost directly across from the restaurant, and waiting for traffic to clear before crossing the street.

A large freight truck drove past Rena, blaring its horn at some unseen offense and blocking her view of Bobby for just a few seconds. When the truck had passed, others around Bobby kept moving, yet he just remained where he was. Time seemed to slow, as Rena squinted to see what kept Bobby where he was.

It took Rena only seconds to realize something was horribly wrong. Bobby's hand covered his abdomen as a dark stain seemed to seep out and around. Rena ran towards him ignoring the cars on the street and the car horns and yells that followed her. Before she could reach him, Bobby fell to his knees on the wet sidewalk.

Tears filled Rena's eyes as she reached him. Seeing the wound in his side horrified her. Screaming, "Someone call an ambulance! He's been shot!"

Bobby tried to speak, but Rena shushed him. "Don't talk. Hang in there Bobby, you're going to be alright. You just hang in there ok?" Rena tore her wrap off her shoulders and began to press the wound, trying to stop the loss blood. "Bobby, hang in there. Help is on the way." Tears filled her voice, "Somebody please call 911! Bobby? Bobby!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Friday Night, 9pm, Mercy General Hospital_

The waiting room's walls were covered in a green floral print. Dark colored thin cushions adorned the couches in the room. Several old magazines laid on the end tables scattered across the room. Old stains remained in the carpet, as reminders of appalling news, or even death. The room's somber atmosphere fell on Rena like a wet thick blanket, one that she couldn't remove or get away from.

The doors to the waiting area flew open as Captain Danny Ross and Detective Alexandra Eames burst through. Eames darted straight to Rena. The detective part of Eames's brain automatically began to take notes. She notices that Rena had a green cocktail dress on, now covered in blood and damp from the rain. Rena's hair was do up in a bun, yet several strands had escapes and were tucked behind her ears. Rena's makeup was smeared from crying.

"Alex" one word expressing so much, without having to saying it all.

Eames didn't hesitate to go straight to Rena, putting an arm around her shoulder. Tears flowed from Rena's eyes as she started to shake. "SShhh. Take it easy."

Words began to rush out of Rena, "We were just suppose to have a nice dinner out. Just the two of us. Just an evening out."

Gently Eames prompted Rena to continued, "What happened?"

Tears flowed, "Bobby dropped me off. He didn't want me to walk with the rain and cooler weather. After he let me out at the restaurant, he went to park the car." She paused briefly to catch her breath, "I saw him across the street walking down towards the restaurant. He stopped for traffic. . . . and. . . . ."

Ross sat down next to Rena and awkwardly patted her arm, "Take it easy, just tell us what you saw."

Tears flowed down Rena's face. Her hands shook; she started to cover her face until she noticed some of Bobby's blood still on her hands. Crying harder, she tried to control her shaking. Eames reached over pulled Rena's hands down and held them. That contact seemed to steady Rena enough for her to continue, "A freight truck drove past, so I didn't see Bobby. When the truck was gone, Bobby just stood there. I kept expecting him to start across the street." Rena closed her eyes briefly, "I saw him standing there, holding his side."

Eames tilted her head slightly, "Is that when you saw he was shot?" she said encouragingly.

Rena nodded, "I saw what seemed like a large stain spreading across his shirt. That's when I ran across the street to him," she took the tissue that Ross handed her and wiped her eyes, "He fell to the ground before I could reach him. When I reached him I knew someone shot him."

Ross's face turned grim. Eames's lips pressed together to form a thin line, her eyebrows pulled together. Eames stole a quick glance at Ross, then turned to Rena, "Come on Rena, let's you get cleaned up and out of this dress."

Eames escorted Rena down the hall. After Eames asked the nurse a couple of questions, she took Rena to the employee showers. Eames left Rena with a set of spare nurse's scrubs, and promised to meet her back in the waiting room.

Rena turned the shower on, and looked in the mirror. Grief and fear came crashing over her all at once, weeping she fell down to her knees. She only whispered "Bobby," as both a prayer and foundation of hope.

Eames returned to the waiting room, rejoining Ross. Ross waved her over to him, "The hospital just gave me Goren's personal belongings that he had on him." He showed her the box that had just been handed to him.

Eames looked in the box. Ross pulled out Goren's service weapon, and removed the clip, "I'll take this back to the office." Picking up a black box, Ross looked up at Eames, holding the box up. "Is this what I think it is, Eames?"

Eames took the box, "Damn, Bobby." Shaking her head, and trying hard not to shed any tears, "I knew he was thinking about. Damn, what timing."

Ross sighed heavily. "Eames, hold on to that. Don't tell Ms Reynolds about it yet. Let's give Mr. Goren the chance to ask her on his own time."

Eames shot Ross a sharp look, "And if . . ."

Ross's gazed hardened, "He'll pull through. He's a tough bastard. He'll make it."

Rena entered the room then wearing blue scrubs and her hair still dripping wet. She didn't notice Eames put the box in her jacket pocket. Eames went straight to Rena giving her a quick hug. Rena's face still was red from crying, but she seemed a bit more under control.

Ross reached out and grabbed Rena's hand, "Ms Reynolds, know that the entire Major Case Squad is here for you."

Just then, Detective Mike Logan strolled into the waiting room. He hadn't bothered putting his tie back on, and his brown hair was disheveled. Concern filled his eyes, and his gaze went straight to Eames and Ross. Ross acknowledged Logan's presence, and introduced him to Rena, "Ms Reynolds, this is Detective Mike Logan, another detective in the Major Case Squad. I've assigned him to work with Detective Eames to find Goren's shooter."

Rena turned and tried to smile and Logan, but tears streaked down her face. "Bobby has mentioned you a couple of times."

Logan snickered, "I bet he has."

Just then, a doctor walked in and interrupted them. "Ms Reynolds?"

Rena stepped forward, with Ross, Eames and Logan standing behind her, silently supporting and bracing her. "Yes. I'm Ms Reynolds."

Extending his hand, "I'm Doctor Thomas Markham. We've just moved Mr. Goren into recovery. He suffered quite a bit of internal bleeding, and we will be keeping him sedated for the next few days, to allow his body time to heal. The bullet fragmented upon impact, which is why his was in surgery for so long."

Rena gripped Eames's hand, "But he'll be alright?"

Dr Markham's eyes dropped slightly, "I don't want to give you any false promises. If we got all the shrapnel, and he can remain stable over the next few days, then he should pull thru."

Ross stepped forward and introduced himself, "We'll need the fragments you recovered for our investigation." The doctor nodded his head in acknowledgement.

Rena turned back to the doctor, "When can I see him?"

Dr Markham checked his watch, "Mr. Goren should be moved from recovery in a couple of hours. You will be allowed to see him then." Rena shook her head in understanding. The doctor then shook hands with Ross and Logan and left the room.

Eames supported Rena, guiding her to the room's couch. "He's going to be ok, Rena. He's going to make."

Rena closed her eyes and tilted her head back, "I know, Alex. It's just. . ."

Eames held her hand, "I understand. Where's Jason?"

"He's spending time with his grandparent's in Arkansas and Tennessee. Bobby and I were going to go down to my mother's in Tennessee in a couple of weeks. You know, introduce Bobby to the family."

Ross grinned slightly, "So that's why he submitted that vacation request earlier today."

Rena smiled, "Do you know how long he's been putting off doing that? He's nervous about meeting my mother."

Logan smirked, "I can't imagine Goren being nervous about anything."

Eames tried to hide a smile, and turned to Rena, "I'll check in with you to see how he's doing later, ok?"

"Alright." Pausing, she raised her eyes up to Eames, "Alex, find who did this."

Eames's jaw tightened, "We'll find out who did this. I promise you that."


	3. Chapter 3

_Saturday Morning, Major Case Squad Room_

Eames rubbed her eyes. Instead of going home last night, she returned to the squad room and began review files. She reached into one of the boxes stacked near her desk and began to read the file contents. She absently reached for the coffee cup on her desk, and raised it to take a drink. Making a face at its cold contents, she tossed the cup in the trash, her eyes never leaving the file in front of her.

Mike Logan strolled in the squad room, with a box in his left hand, and a cardboard tray holding two cups of coffee. Mike set the box down a desk, then handed Eames one of the cups of coffee. Eames glanced up and took the coffee, "Thanks."

Mike shrugged, "No problem." Peering at the stack of boxes surrounding her desk, "Have you gotten any sleep?"

Grimacing, Eames nodded, "I got a couple of hours upstairs. I just couldn't sleep."

Raising his eyebrows, Mike pulled a chair near Eames, "I understand. What are you looking at?"

Gesturing towards the boxes, "Goren and mine case files from Major Case. Trying to see if there is anyone who would want to kill Goren." Seeing Mike's expression, she amended her answer, "Ok, who would be most likely to be able to try to kill him."

Mike picked up a file, "Well let's get started."

Danny Ross strolled into the squad several hours later. He planned on clearing out some paper work before going and getting his boys. Upon seeing Eames and Logan reading files, he decided to go and get an update on Goren's shooting. Walking over to the two detectives, "Find anything Detectives?"

Startled, Eames looked up from the file she was reading, "We've reviewing Goren's old cases to see if there are any possible suspects."

Noticing the stacks of files and boxes surrounding them "Found anything?"

Logan snickered, "Yeah. A lot of people have a reason to be pissed off at Goren."

Eames threw down the file she was reading. "This is just Major Case; Narcotics is supposed to be sending up the cases he worked on while he was there."

Ross surveyed the boxes of files, "I'll bring Rich in to help you go over these files. Meanwhile, try to see if anyone saw who shot Goren. An eyewitness would be ideal."

Logan got up and stretched, "Yeah, we'll see what we can do."

As they walked to the elevators, Logan reviewed the file on the shooting, "So, who do we see first?"

/size

_Saturday Afternoon, Outside the Williams Residence_

Logan opened the door to the SUV open for Eames as they left the Williams townhouse. Eames smiled weakly as she climbed in the vehicle. Eames leaned her back against the seat's headrest, "Well, this is turning out nicely" she sarcastically told Logan as he climbed in the SUV.

"Yeah, five witnesses and the first four saw nothing" Logan replied as he started the car. Looking over at Eames, "You want me to drop you off at your place? I can interview this last witness on my own."

Eames shook her head. "I'll be alright."

"You're exhausted, you should get some sleep."

"No. I'll be fine."

Logan shrugged as he pulled out into traffic. "If you say so."

Pulling out the case file, Eames's focus returned to the case, "The last witness is a Ms. Martin. She lives on Soloman Avenue."

Logan nodded, "How long have you and Goren been partners?"

Pushing her hair back from her face, "Almost eight years now." Shaking her head slightly, "I've the one who is usually in the hospital."

Smirking a little, "Don't know how to react now that the tables have turned?"

Giving Logan a dirty look, "What do you mean by that?"

Logan smiled a little, "You don't know how to react to the fact that Goren is the one incapacitated."

Cocking her head to one side, Eames fell silent for a few minutes, "Perhaps you right. I've gotten use to working with Goren." Laughing, "And to think, eight years ago, I tried to get another partner."

Neither felt like talking much, so they continued the drive in silence. Yesterday's dreary, misty day vanished with the sunrise. Now the day seemed bright and chirper, yet the dark clouds in the horizon were not far away. Eames closed her eyes briefly, and prayed for those dark clouds to fade away.

Upon arriving at the Martin residence, Logan again inquired, "Are you sure you feel up for this?"

Nodding her head, "Yeah. I am."

The apartment of Mrs. Louise Martin was small, but well kept. Dark wallpaper covered the walls, with dark gold painted wood trim. A floral print couch set under a wide window, with two solid colored overstuffed armchairs bracketing it. On the window ledge, several green potted plants craned their stems to catch the fading autumn sunlight. A dark gray cat stalked the around the living room, rubbing up against the legs of the dark wood coffee table.

Logan shifted nervously on Mrs. Martin's couch, and tried to hide the grimace as her cat tried to rub up against him. Mrs. Martin returned into the room with a tea tray and set it on the coffee table, upon seeing her cat kneading Logan's leg, she waved her hand, "Shoo Gandalf. You leave this nice young man alone." The gray cat stretched, gave his owner an irritated glance, and jumped up into the window behind the couch.

Eames fought to keep a grin off her face. She couldn't decide which was more amusing, the cat's reaction to his owner, or Logan's reaction to the cat. Accepting the cup of tea offered by Mrs. Martin allowed her to cover up her smile.

Once seeing the two detectives served, Mrs. Martin sat in a blue overstuffed arm chair. Setting a small plate of cookies on the arm of the chair, she blew on her cup of tea. "Now how can I help you?"

Logan pounced at the chance to get the interview started, "We're following up on the shooting you witness last night."

Mrs. Martin shook her head sadly, setting the tea up on its saucer. "Terrible thing. He appeared to be a very nice young man. And that poor young girl, she was terribly upset, poor thing. Was that his wife?"

Eames earlier amusement evaporated quickly. Glancing down at the floor, "No. No yet."

"That poor thing. Is the young man going to be alright?"

Logan answered, but his eyes focused on Eames, not Mrs. Martin, "He has a good chance. We'll know more in a few days. Could you tell up what you saw?"

Mrs. Martin took another sip of tea, "Of course, Detective. Though, it may not be much."

Eames gently prodded the elderly woman, "Just tell us what you can."

Sitting up straighter in the chair, Mrs. Martin rubbed out an imaginary wrinkle in her skirt, "Very well. Years ago, when my husband still lived, he used to take out to a restaurant once or twice a month. He always wanted to try someplace new and different. Il Mulino's was one of his favorites, so every year on his birthday and on our anniversary, I meet my daughter and her husband there. Well, last night would have been our 58th anniversary, but this year my daughter and her husband came down with some nasty stomach flu." She paused momentary to sip some tea, "I decided to go alone. After all, I may be old, but I'm in good health and I've lived in New York for years. I was headed towards my car when I saw that young man who was shot. What was his name?"

Eames quietly responded, "Detective Robert Goren."

Mrs. Martin's eyebrows rose, "He was a police officer? Well, I'll be. Anyways, I saw him stop and watch traffic; I assumed he was going to cross the street over to the restaurant. Then this person, I could tell if it was a woman or a man, came right up to him. I never saw their face, since they were wearing one of those black hooded sweaters with pockets in the front. When they pulled their hands from the pockets, I saw the gun. That Detective, Goren did you say, never noticed him, until that person shot him."

Logan leaned forward, with his forearms pressing against the tops of his legs, "Did you see any marks or anything that could help identify the person who did this?"

Pressing her lips together, her brow wrinkling in concentration, "There was one thing. When the person wearing the black sweater, pulled that gun out, their sleeve was pushed up. It appeared as if he had a snake tattoo on his arm and wrist."

Eames glanced at Logan surprised, "Did you see their face at all?"

Shaking her head no, "I'm afraid not. I wish I could help."

Logan rose to leave, "Mrs. Martin, I believe you may have."

_Mercy General Hospital, Saturday Evening_

size"3"Eames weary stepped off the elevator and headed down the hall. Reaching Goren's room, she peered in. A small lamp was turned on, sitting on the table by the hospital bed. Goren laid on the bed, hooked up to IVs and oxygen tubes. While his breathing appeared regular, his skin was pale and sallow.

Rena sat curled up in a chair by the bed, her head resting against the bed rail. An extra hospital blanket was draped over her. Hearing the door open, she raised up, blinking her eyes rapidly, trying to see who entered the room. Upon seeing Eames, she stood up and walked over to her, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

Eames spoke softly, "How's he doing?"

Taking a deep breath, Rena answered her, "Pretty much the same. The doctors want to wait another day or two before taking him off the sedatives."

Putting an arm around Rena, "Why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

Tears welled up in Rena's eyes, "I can't, Alex. If something were to happen . . ." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Besides, the apartment just screams Bobby; I'm not ready to face that yet."

Eames nodded. She understood, unfortunately she understood all too well. Memories of when her husband died quickly flashed through her mind. She quickly shut off the flow of memoires. Moreover, knowing what Bobby had planned the previous evening, she hoped like hell he recovered from this. Taking another glance at Goren, she whispered, "Don't die on me, partner."

Eames spun around on her left heel, and embraced Rena, "Call me if you need anything, ok? And try to get some rest; you're not doing him any favors by not taking care of yourself."

Rena sighed, closed her eyes and nodded. "I'll try."


	4. Chapter 4

_Major Case Squad Room, Monday morning_

Eames set the drink tray on Logan's desk, and handed him one coffee cups. Nodded his head in acceptance, he continued his phone conversation. While he talked on the phone, he handed Eames a file, and mouthed 'read it'. Eames opened the file and began to read. Her brow furrowed in concentration.

Logan hung up the phone. Pointing to the file in Eames's hand, "See anything interesting about the perp's description."

Eames read the file and smiled, "He has a reptilian style dragon tattooed on his right wrist and arm." She reviewed the attached photo, "This tattoo could easily be taken as a snake."

Logan grinned, "And guess who help put Mr. Todd Greene in jail for drug trafficking?"

Eames cocked her head to the side, with a sarcastic smile on her face, "Goren. Before he came to Major Case he worked Narcotics."

Logan rose up from his desk, and grabbed his coat. "Ready to visit Mr. Greene?"

Before they could leave the squad room, Ross opened his office door. "Logan, Eames step in here please."

Grimacing, Logan followed Eames into Ross's office. Ross gestured for them to take a seat, and then sat behind his desk. "I just got off the phone with the Chief of Ds." Ross suddenly focused on the phone on his desk, and through gritted teeth, "He's pulling Major Case off the Goren's shooting."

Flames danced in Eames's eyes, while Logan shot up knocking his chair back against the glass. For a moment, the office was still, then hell broke loss as both detectives started yelling at Ross.

Eames didn't bother hiding her anger, "What the hell is this about Captain? Goren busts his ass, and his life, for the NYPD and this squad. Who is supposed to take over this investigation?"

Ross's lips pressed together in displeasure, "The Chief ordered us to give the case to the 2-9."

Logan put his hands on Ross's desk, and leaned toward Ross, "And just what incredibly brilliant reasoning was given for this? Considering that this is a NYPD Detective that has been shot, and those cases fall under Major Case."

Ross glared Logan in the eye, "My hands are tied. The Chief feels that we should spend our resources and time for our current case load."

Logan hit the desk, "Horse Hockey!! What's really going on, Captain?"

Ross's voice became slightly heated, "Goren hasn't exactly made friends among the brass upstairs. There are still some who feel that Goren should not have been allowed back on the force, especially after the Tates situation."

Eames's cell phone started ringing before Logan could verbally express his opinion about the brass upstairs. Eames stood up and walked toward the corner away from Logan and Ross, "Eames." The color drained from her face, "I'll be right there. I promise." She flipped the phone shut, fighting back the fear that was creeping into her gut. "That was Rena. Goren is being rushed into surgery; the doctors believe he has more internal bleeding."

Logan reached out and awkwardly put his arm around Eames shoulder. "Goren is a tough cop. He'll pull through this."

Eames nodded. "I'm going to the hospital." Glaring at Ross, "And now I have to tell his soon to be fiancée that we've been ordered the abandon his case."

Ross grabbed his coat, "I'll come with you to the hospital. I'm not exactly happy about turning this over either Detective. On the way, perhaps you can fill me in on what you've discovered thus far. I'm not going to let some shot one of my best detectives and get away with it."


	5. Chapter 5

_Mercy General Hospital, mid-morning, Monday_

The lights in the hospital room were turned off, expect for the florescent light over the now empty bed. The green and white colors of the room screamed sterilization, of both body and personality. Rena occupied a thin cushioned green arm chair located between the bed and the window. Her eyes had dark circles, and were puffy from crying. She had wrapped her arms around her to fight off the chill she was feeling, and the fear. Pulling her hand inside the sweatshirt, she used the end to wipe the tears off her face. In doing so, she took inhaled the lingering scent on the shirt. It was Bobby's NYPD sweatshirt that he typically wore on the weekends. Taking one more smell of the shirt, she tried to pull herself together.

Eames, Logan and Ross walked into the room. For a moment, no one said a word. What words of comfort can be said? How could they tell her, what came from upstairs? Logan began to fidget slightly, while Eames walked over to Rena.

"Rena." Eames searched Rena's face for answers regarding Bobby's condition.

Rena just shook her head negatively. "He's still in surgery. It may be a while before I know anything."

Ross shuffles his feet, "What happened?"

Rena bites her lower lip, "Bobby's blood pressure started plummeting early this morning. The doctors think that there is a bullet fragment that was missed during his original surgery." She ran her hands through auburn hair, then standing up. She began to pace the room. "How's the investigation going?"

No one could look Rena in the eye. Logan and Ross both fidgeted and shuffled their feet, while Eames pressed her lips together gazing out the window. The silence that suddenly blanketed the room was almost suffocating.

Rena observed the three for a few moments, then her control over her emotions snapped. "Alright, what the hell is going on?"

Ross tried to cover for the two detectives, "Nothing, Rena. Everything is going fine."

Rena glared at Ross, then at Eames and Logan, "Horse Hockey!. I've been dating Bobby for over a year now, so I've had the Robert Goren crash course on reading body language. What is it?"

Eames closed her eyes briefly, and then exhaled heavily. "The Chief of Ds has pulled Logan and me off the case."

"What?"

Ross stepped over to Rena. "I've tried to convince the Chief to let us continue working case, but he wouldn't change his decision."

"So Bobby's shooter is going to get away? Great. Just great." Rena turned her back them, her entire body tensing in anger.

Ross placed a hand on Rena's shoulder, "That's not going to happen. The guys in the 2-9 are good cops."

Rena spun around and glared furiously at Ross, "Yeah. Sure." Anger flashed in her emerald green eyes, "Meanwhile, while the Chief is sipping mochas and lattés, the person has almost killed Bobby, is walking the streets. What the hell happened to that 'support our officers' crap he was spewing a few months ago? Or is that only for those who are the Chief's favorites or those that will be on the newspaper headlines?"

Before anyone could say anything else, Dr Markham entered the room. Rena introduced him to everyone in the room, "How is he?"

"We removed another bullet fragment, which is what caused the internal bleeding. Mr. Goren's vital signs are appearing better. However, he will need lots of time to recover."

Rena closed in eyes briefly, the looked at the doctor, "But he'll be alright?"

Dr Markham sighed slightly, "The next 24 hours will tell. He will have a long recovery head, that bullet really did some damage. I'll be able to give you more details about his recovery tomorrow." He quickly and quietly left the room, after nodding goodbye to the detectives.

Rena leaned back against the wall, letting the tears roll down her face. Fear gripped her stomach, refusing to let go. She raised her hands and covered her face, trying not to show the fear and grief to the detectives.

Eames eased over to Rena, and placed an arm around her shoulders. Talking softly, she tried to reassure Rena, "You know Bobby's tough. He'll pull through this."

Rena managed to nod slightly, unable to look Eames in the eye. "I'll keep you updated, Eames."

Quietly, Eames gestured for Logan and Ross to head out of the room. Turning back to Rena, "I'm here if you need me, ok?"

"Yeah."

Several hours later, Rena rose from the chair she had been dozing in and began to pace the room. Bobby had been brought back to the room an hour or so before. He no longer appeared as pale as he had before. Yet she longed to see the sparkle in his eyes, to see his mischievous grin. She caressed his face, refusing to let the tears take over.

A nurse walked into the room, checking on Bobby. Taking notice of Rena, she glanced over at her, "Do you self a favor, hun. Get out of this hospital for a couple of hours. We've got your cell number if anything changes. Go get a breath of fresh air, well it's probably not fresh, but it's better than being in here generating bad vibes." The nurse finished taking Bobby's vital signs and left the room.

Slightly stunned at the nurse's remarks, Rena stood in the room for a few minutes. Then moving with a purpose, she grabbed the room's phone book and her cell phone. After a few minutes, she found the number she was searching for. Dialing the number, she waited for an answer. After two rings, "Homicide division." A long pause, "I would like to speak to the detective responsible for Bobby Goren's case." Her eyebrows raised and her brow creased, "Really. Internal Affairs. Could you transfer me?"

After a really long wait, she finally got a response, "This is Detective Robert Goren's girlfriend. I've been told that Internal Affairs is now handling his shooting." Anger replaced confusion on her face, "The Chief of D's reassigned the case. To where?" Closing her eyes, she lowered her head, "Thanks." She flipped the phone shut.

Rena pacing across the room, trying to think past the building rage. Suddenly she stopped, opened her phone and dialed another number, "Jessica? How are you? Still working the Chief's office?" " Listen, I'm sure you heard about Bobby. No. Umm, someone shot him Friday night on our way to dinner. I'm doing ok, considering. I need to speak with the Chief about what happened, where is he having lunch? I'll just catch him right before his lunch appointment. Yeah, I know where that place is it's just around the corner here. Thanks a million, Jessica."

_Outside Le Bernardin, 1pm Monday_

Rena walked up to the restaurant, trying to keep a smile on her face. As she got to the restaurant, she began to wonder what she the hell she was doing and how exactly she thought she would get in to speak to the Chief. These thoughts ran as a jumble in her arrived at the restaurant. Steeling her resolve, and putting the memories of Friday night in the back of her mind, Rena walked through door into the restaurant's waiting area. The moment she walked in, a patron began yelling at the hostess regarding their reservation.

Stealing the opportunity, Rena slipped past the hostess stand and walked into the restaurant. Quickly surveying the room, she instantly spotted Chief Bradshaw. The nervous jitters ceased. Rena paid no attention to the Chief's lunch companions, her eyes stayed focused on the NYPD Chief of Detectives.

Stepping up to the Chief, "Excuse me, Chief Bradshaw?"

Annoyed, he peered up at Rena, "Yes? Can I help you?"

Rena's jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed, "I'm Detective Robert Goren's girlfriend. And I would like to know why you are so determined to let the person who shot him get away?"

Bradshaw's face turned scarlet red, "Now see here young lady. . ."

"Oh no. I see. I see perfectly clearly, you son of a bh," taking a deep breath, Rena continued before she lost her nerve, "You don't give a damn about Bobby, he's the 'whack job' and the 'crazy loon'. I know exactly what you think of Bobby. You rush to be seen anytime an officer or detective is injured and you claim you do everything to protect the NYPD. However, that's only for the detectives who happen to fit your perfect little mold. Bobby doesn't fit that mold, he actually tries to find the truth—not just say whatever is convenient. Oh, but when one your friends has a tragedy, who are you calling on the case? Robert Goren." Rena turned to walk away, and then looked back at Bradshaw, "Sir, I think you need to put Major Case back on Bobby's shooting, and hope like hell Bobby recovers and that Eames and Logan catch who shoot him. Because if his shooter gets away, there will not be a single person in this city who will not know that the NYPD Chief of Ds let a murder go free."

Rena strode out of the restaurant without looking back. Therefore, she never noticed the police commissioners and the mayor stare at Bradshaw. The Mayor recovered first, and resumed eating his salad, acting as if nothing happened. "I don't remember reading a report this morning about a detective being shot. Perhaps you could fill us in."

Bradshaw stared at the spot where Rena had stood, then back at his lunch companions. Embarrassed and angry, he began to inform them about the details of Goren's shooting.


	6. Chapter 6

_Late Monday Night, Mercy General Chapel_

The softer light in the room was a sharp contrast to the harshly light hallway. Illuminated in the front of the room stood an altar. The wood railing around the altar reflected the light from above the altar, as if trying to brighten the somber atmosphere in the room. To the left of the altar, unlit candles sat in their holders in neat rows along the oak shelf except for one lone candle flickering. A door, left slightly ajar, to the right of the altar let in some of the harsher florescent light, but not enough to the intrude upon the quiet and somber presence of the chapel.

Rena stood just inside the door of the chapel, unsure of whether she wanted to go further in, or run back out into the hallway. Just when she decided to leave, the door by the altar opened fully, and a priest walked out. Looking around the chapel, the priest spotted Rena standing by the door. He immediately shut the door behind him, and gestured for her towards the altar. Sighing quietly, Rena walked toward the priest, feeling compelled to at least acknowledge the presence of the priest.

The priest spoke softly and gently, "May I help you this evening?"

Rena sank down into one of the chairs at the front of the chapel. The past few days came flooding over her, and the tears she thought were dry, began to pour down her face again. She studied the priest for a long moment, and then whispered, "Where to begin?"

The priest patted her arm, "The beginning is usually best, my dear."

"The beginning?" Rena replied. "The beginning was my heart in a million pieces upon the hospital floor almost four years ago when my first husband died. I came to New York to try and forget that pain, tried to bury myself into a new life where I didn't see his face around every corner."

"I take it that your plans worked out slightly differently, "he gently prodded.

"You could say that. I came to New York trying to forget the love that I lost, and one day I turned the corner and found love all over again." She attempted to wipe the tears from her eyes, "I never intended to love someone that much again, but once I met Bobby, there was no going back. I let myself fall head over heels in love with him. Now I could lose that love forever. I don't know if I can do this again."

Reaching out and grabbing her hand, "My dear, no one knows how the Lord plans our lives to go. Perhaps he brought your first husband into your life to prepare you to meet this new person. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but he never gives us more than we have the ability to handle."

"What am I going to do if he dies?"

Squeezing her hand, "My dear, that is why we must rely faith."

Shaking her head, "Faith? I don't know if I have any faith left."

Nodding, "Several of those who come in here say that. Yet, let me ask you, why did you come in here tonight?"

Perplexed, Rena turned and stared at the lone candle burning. "Perhaps because there is still hope. And with every breath I take, I will do anything to see him better." Turning back to the priest, "Father, can you help me? I can do nothing more than pray, and right now, I am not sure I remember how to pray."

Smiling, the priest answered her, "Then let me pray with you, and perhaps together, our prayer will be answered."

"From your lips to Gods ears, Father."

_Mid-Morning, Tuesday, Major Case Squad Room_

Ross hung up the phone, the yelled from his office "Eames, Logan. Get in here!"

Eames glared over at Logan. Logan shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'I don't know, but I didn't do it'.

Ross gestured for the two to shut the door as they entered. "It appears that we have been reassigned to Goren's shooting. I need you two to get your notes back from the 2-9 and start working this case again."

Shocked, Eames asked, "What caused the bass to change their minds so quickly?"

Ross shook his head, "I have no idea. What I do know is the Mayor wants me to give him progress reports every day at 4pm. So let's get this case solved, and fast."

Logan raised his eyebrows, "Wouldn't have it any other way, Captain."

As Logan and Eames left Ross's office, Logan murmured, "Wonder who went over the Chief's head?"

Eames peered back towards Ross's office, "I don't wonder, I know. Rena may appear all sweet and nice, but she'll light you up in a heartbeat if you piss her off."

"Really?"

Grinning, Eames nodded, "I saw her tear into Goren a couple of times. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of her during a tongue lashing." She snatched her jacket, "Let's go get our notes and records from the 2-9."

Logan sat down at his desk, picking up a file and holding it up to Eames, "You know how busy it can get around here, and I never got around to dropping the file off to the 2-9." Grinning he gestured around the squad room, "So, where do we start at?"

/size

_1pm, Tuesday Afternoon, Major Case Squad Room_

Logan hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and began to rub his eyes. He didn't get much sleep last night. Between tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position in his bed, and going over Goren's case in his mind, sleep became a little hard to find. He picked up his coffee cup and grimaced, empty again. He stood up and stretched, and headed for the coffee pot, which of course, was empty. Logan pondered making another pot, and then decided against it.

Eames joined Logan at the coffee, holding her own empty coffee mug. "Who forgot to make more coffee?"

Shrugging, Logan gestured towards the door, "Perhaps we should get out of here and get some real coffee."

Eames tilted her head, and rubbed her temples. "Yeah, I could get out of here for a few minutes." Pulling on her coat, she followed Logan out of the squad room.

At a coffee shop a couple of blocks from 1PP, Logan and Eames huddled over their cups of coffee. After sitting there for several minutes, Logan broke the silence, "Have you heard from Rena?"

Shaking her head, "I didn't want to bother her."

An eyebrow shot up on Logan's face, "Bother her? Or afraid of that tongue lashing you spoke of?"

Eames shifted uncomfortably, "Perhaps a little of both."

Logan grinned, "You hear the gossip this morning?"

Eames fought to hide the grin on her face. "The bit about the Chief of D's getting cussed out in front of the mayor and deputy commissioner?" Eames gave up hiding the smile on her face, "Yeah, I might have heard that as I walked in this morning."

Laughing, Logan leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his coffee. "I'd love to have been there to see that."

"Ross say anything about it?"

Still laughing, "Only that if it was true, it would explain his daily calls to the mayor's office. Then he yelled at me to hurry up and get this case solved, and remind me that he needed an update by 3 today."

Eames pulled out her notes, "Well, let's go over what we have and see where to head from here."

A couple of hours, and cups of coffee later, Logan's cell phone interrupted them. After speaking for a couple of minutes, closed the phone and peered up at Eames. "That was Rich from the squad room. They found Mr. Greene."

"The guy with the tattoo that Goren busted in Narcotics?"

Logan smiled, "That would be him."

Eames grabbed her jacket and keys. "Let me guess, he's just been let out on parole?"

Logan's grin flashed across his face, "How'd you know?"

_17__th__ Precinct, New York City_

The fist slammed onto the counter drew attention from everyone in the precinct. Trying to keep himself from strangling the officer behind the counter, he spoke behind gritted teeth, "What do you mean you let him go?"

The officer stammered a bit, noticing that Logan's face was flushed red and his partner was happy either. In fact, the officer would rather be in a room with Logan right now than having to face the blond woman standing next to him. "Ummm, the desk sergeant turned him loose. Not enough evidence for a drug charge."

Logan glared at the officer, "And the holding order from Major Case was just a suggestion?"

The officer swallowed. "We didn't see it until he was already turned loose."

Logan slammed his fist on the counter and walked out. Eames followed, though she really wanted to vent her anger, she knew that it wouldn't do any good. Outside the precinct, Logan let go of some of his anger, "Of all the stupid, hair brained decisions. . ."

Eames crossed her arms, "Any bright ideas, now?"

Logan jerked his head towards the car, "Yeah. Time to find out where Mr. Greene calls home."

"His parole officer."

"He has to check in doesn't he? You've got a better idea?"

Eames shook her head, "Let's chase this rat out of his hole."

A couple of hours later, after harassing a parole officer to give them Greene's address, Logan pounded on the door. "Todd! Open up! NYPD!"

The crash from the other side of the door was clearly audible to the two detectives, as was the scream that followed. Logan didn't even blink an eye before he kicked the door to the apartment in, gun drawn.

Both detectives ran into the apartment. Drug paraphernalia lay scattered across the small apartment. A women lay curled up on the floor crying, while the sheet hanging over the door lay flapping in the wind. With glass all over the floor by the window, Logan snatched the sheet away from the window. Sure enough, the window was broken. A noise from the fire escape grabbed Logan's attention, and Logan stuck his head out the window and look down to see a male in a dark hooded sweatshirt running down the fire escape. Gesturing at the fire escape, Logan holstered his weapon, and headed out the window after him.

Running and sliding down the steps, Logan quickly caught up with the hooded sweatshirt. The suspect began to run off, evidently thinking that Logan would finish going down the steps, he ran past the fire escape on his way out of the alley.

Logan quickly decided that the stairs were taking too long, and grabbing the railing, jumped over the side of them and landed on the runaway. Both of them went down and rolled away from the fire escape. Logan attempted to get back on his feet before the suspect next to him did, with no such luck. Taking a deep breath, he sprinted after the hooded sweatshirt, only to hear a loud and clear, "Freeze!"

Eames stood at the end of the alley, gun drawn and pointed at the suspect. Her eyes showed no compassion, no comprise. One wrong move and she wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. All she need was a reason, one reason.

The guy promptly decided to stop and put his hands up. Logan, breathing heavily, grabs his wrist and handcuffs him, "You are under arrest my friend." Logan recites the Miranda warning, while dragging him to their car. Eames watches, keeping her gun in hand under Logan shoved Greene into the car. Logan raised an eyebrow, "You ok?"

Eames's eyes showed no emotion, cold and uninviting. "Yeah. I'm fine."

_5pm, Tuesday Afternoon, Major Case Squad Room_

Logan loosened his tie and took another sip of water. He had already thrown his suit jacket across the back of his chair. The squad room filled with activity, detectives returning and filing reports, some getting ready to go home. Logan stole a glance at the clean desk next to his own. His usual partner, Megan Wheeler, slipped on some wet steps a few weeks ago, resulting in a broken arm and wrist. She swore that it would not keep her from duty; however, Ross had other ideas. Since it was her dominant hand, Wheeler could not hold or fire her weapon, thus she was spending the next few weeks on sick leave. Goren getting shot became a slight blessing in disguise. While Logan would never wish anything bad to happen to Goren, especially since he respect the quiet detective quite a bit, the shooting accomplished one thing—it freed him from the end piles of paperwork that Ross seemed to keep finding for him. Now all he had to do was find the punk who shot Goren, and make sure that the person responsible paid dearly for it.

Logan grabbed his file and walked toward the interrogation room. Ross meet him on the way, appearing grim. "Do you have any updates?"

Shrugging, Loan gestured toward the interrogation room. "Eames and I are preparing to talk to a possible suspect now." He offered Ross the file, which he knew Ross would take.

Ross didn't disappoint Logan, grabbing the file and began reading. "You actually caught him with 13 ounces of methamphetamine on him?"

"Yeah, seems he ran cause he was afraid of getting busted on a parole violation."

"If he shot one of my detectives, a parole violation will be the least of his worries. Play this one by the book, Logan. I don't want this perp walking away on a technicality."

Logan gave Ross his most innocent faces, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Captain."

"Carry on, Detective."

The cold grey walls of the interrogation offered no comfort and no consolation. The metal table and chairs persisted this sentiment. After opening the door for Eames, Logan entered the room and tossed Todd Greene's file on the table. "5 arrests, 4 misdemeanor convictions and finally one felony conviction. Released on parole three months ago, for 'outstanding good behavior'." Logan opened the file and peered back up at Greene, "Guess the 'good behavior' bit ended as soon as you cleared the prison walls."

Greene leaned onto the table, angrily pointing his finer at Logan, "I didn't do anything. You can't prove nothing."

"Oh, so the 13 ounces of methamphetamines we found on you is nothing?"

"Man that isn't even mine. You can't prove crap."

Eames left the corner she had been standing in, and leaned across the table, staring Greene down. "No see. That's where you're wrong. Having a controlled substance is a violation of your parole. So we get to send you up back upstate. And since you shot a cop, you'll be there for a long time."

Greene pushed his chair on the back two legs, trying to stay away from Eames, "I . . . I didn't shot no. . .nobody. I don't play that."

Logan sneered, "So it's just coincidence that someone matching your description, with a similar tattoo as yours just happens to shot the cop who help put you in jail." Logan cupped his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. "Not very lucky are you?"

Fear flooded Greene's eyes. "L. . .L. . .Look. I . . . don't even have that tattoo any more."

Eames titled her head and narrowed her eyes, "So you found the money to have it removed?"

"Nah. I liked my tattoo. The same as my brother's," Greene lifted his sleeve on his sweatshirt, revealing several old burn scars, totally distorting the tattoo. "While I was in the joint, I worked in the kitchens. This big pot of boiling water tipped over and burned my arm pretty badly. The burn got infected, and I spent weeks up in the hospital unit. I thought I was going to lose my arm. Hurt like hell."

Logan's chair hit the floor with a loud THUD. "This pot of water, just suddenly 'tipped over'?"

"Well, I might have pissed off the wrong people." Staring at the floor, he meekly replied, "Didn't happen a second time."

Eames and Logan both walked out of the room. Each of them stared at each other for a moment, as if to say 'Now what?'

size"3"Captain Danny Ross sat at his desk attempting to get through some of the paperwork that somehow accumulated on his desk over the past few days. Sighing, he absent mindedly grabbed item on the top of his IN basket. Rubbing his eyes, he decided he would finish this last thing, and head home for the day.

In the folder were the department's life insurance and power of attorney paperwork. On the left inside of the folder stuck a yellow post-it note. Dated Friday, it simply read: _Captain, please sign off on these for me. I'll run the upstairs on Monday. Goren._

One glance at the papers told him what he already suspected. Damn. Ross suddenly stood up and grabbed his jacket. Turning off the lights to his office, he waved good bye to the detectives still working, and headed to the elevators. He needed to make one more stop before heading home tonight.


	7. Chapter 7

_Tuesday Evening, Mercy General Hospital_

Danny Ross strolled down the hallway of Mercy General. The hallways lights had been dimmed to simulate night, yet nothing truly dampened the bright sterilized nature of the place. Danny hated hospitals; too many times he had entered a hospital. Too many times, he had a dead officer in the hospital, and too many times, he had to offer condolences to the family. Yet, as bad as those were, nothing really prepared him for this, waiting. The fight for survival, the fight between life and death that dragged on days past the original shooting, that tore at his heart and soul. How do you offer condolences to the family after things had appeared so promising just a few days, hell, a few hours ago? If Goren died, how in the hell could he tell Rena? Ross briefly wished to have Goren's shooter in a small locked room for just a few minutes. Ross shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He never would admit it to Goren's face, but he really respected the detective. As far as Ross knew, Goren never found out his role in getting him reinstated after the Tates incident. The Chief had been furious that Ross backed up Goren, but Ross wouldn't let them shove Goren under the rug as a lost cause.

Danny himself was consider a lost cause several years earlier, when his ex-wife filed for divorce and took the boys. Then his partner at the time had been seriously wounded in a freak accident. Danny tried to forget about those dark days, and had almost forgotten about them too well. After Goren's suspension hearing with the Chief, Ross received a call from his old partner. A partner who chewed Ross out for being so forgetful. After that, Ross quickly did all he could behind the scenes to help Goren out. Goren was probably one of the best detectives in the entire NYPD, hell, maybe the best detective in New York, and Ross wasn't going to let an asset like that go quietly.

By the time Danny finished his own reminiscence, he had arrived at Goren's room. He lightly tapped on the door. At first, Ross though that no one was in the room. He tapped on the door again, and turned to leave, running straight into Rena.

"Ms. Reynolds, how are you?"

Rena brushed her auburn hair away from her face, trying to put on a brave face, "I'm doing ok. Are you here to see Bobby?"

Nodding, "Partly. I also came to check on you." Danny ignored the lines of worry and exhaustion on her face.

Rena opened the door to Bobby's room, "I doing ok, considering. I just came back from a short walk, trying to stretch my legs."

Danny followed her into the room, "I didn't want to intrude..."

"No, you're fine." Rena swallowed nervously, "Captain, I think I need to apologize to you."

Taken aback, "Why? You've done nothing to apologize for."

Rena shook her head and stared at the floor, "I may have put you and your detectives at odds with the Chief of Ds yesterday."

Danny stared in disbelief. "What could you have done to put us at odds with the chief?"

"Oh, you mean besides chew out the Chief of Ds in front of the mayor and commissioners? By threatening the Chief of Ds if he didn't find Bobby's shooter that every news outlet would hear how he interfered with the ongoing investigation of one of New York's best detectives?" Shaking her head from side to side, she sighed. She raised her head to look Ross in the eye, "I can't think of anything else."

Eyebrows raised, Danny appeared stunned, "Ms Reynolds, you have done nothing to apologize for. I was also attempting to get our squad back on this case, admitting, in a less public manner." Sighing, Danny glanced back over at Bobby in the hospital bed.

Goren still appeared pale; but he did look better than when he was first brought after the shooting. Despite the IVs and oxygen tubes, he could still make out some of the scars from the last time Goren was in the hospital.

Returning his gaze to Rena, "Goren and I didn't see eye to eye when I first arrived at Major Case. In fact, I thought he was more trouble than he was worth. I even tried to get him transferred out of the squad."

Rena stared at Ross, "You did? Bobby never mentioned it."

Ross shrugged his shoulders, "The brass upstairs wouldn't allow it. Plus, James Deakins gave me a call me a call and talked me into giving Goren a chance."

"And now?"

Ross glanced over at Goren, then back at Rena, "I wouldn't trade Goren for a hundred detectives. He's the best damn detective I've ever worked with—even if he can be a pain in the ass."

Rena chuckled, "Yes, he can be that." Rena placed her hand on his arm, "Thanks for everything Captain."

Danny clasped her hand, "Call me Danny. If you need anything, call me, I'll me there." He added mentally, _Goren, don't you die on me. I don't want to have to tell her what you had planned._


	8. Chapter 8

_Wednesday morning, Major Case Squad Room_

Logan threw the file on his desk. Nothing. Not one damn thing even close to helping him crack this case. He leaned back in his chair, desperately trying to rack his brain over all the details. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was over looking something very important. But what?

Eames walked over and hand Logan a fresh cup of coffee. He sat straight up and accepted it with a quick "Thanks."

Noticing the file thrown on the desk, "Nothing on your end either, huh?" Eames asked.

Shaking his head, "No. I feel like there's something missing."

Nodding, Eames agreed. "Same here. You know, I sometimes get irritated with my partner for insisting on checking out every small little detail"

Barely hiding the grin on his face, "But let me guess, you wish he was awake to catch the small detail we've been missing."

"You got that right."

Ross joined the two detectives. From the look on his face, it appeared that he didn't manage to get much sleep last night. "Detectives, any news?"

Eames shook her head, "No. The witness to the shooting swears that the tattoo on Greene's arm is the same tattoo that she saw. But by the time Greene was released from prison, that tattoo was so distorted, it was unrecognizable."

Ross rubbed one side of his temples, as if to fight off an incoming headache. "And no one ease besides Greene has this tattoo?"

Eames and Logan's faces both showed stunned expressions. Grabbing their notes, they began search through them, trying to find something that Ross's comment triggered. Ross quickly decided to leave the two alone, while making a mental note to check in with them later in the day.

Logan rapidly flipped through the pages in his case file, trying to grasp the memory that Ross's comment triggered. Irritated at his inability to find what he was looking, he pounded his fist on the desk. "I know I wrote down something about that damn tattoo in my notes!"

Eames reached over his shoulder and yanked a sheet out from the mess forming on Logan's desk. "You mean this one?" Grinning she dangled the page in front of his face, teasing him. "If you would just slow down, for one moment, you might just find what you are looking for."

"Yeah, whatever." Grabbing the paper, he scanned the notes. He pointed to a line on the sheet, "Here. Greene said he had to same tattoo as his brother." Grinning up at her, "Know anyone that can identify tattoos?"

Shaking her head, Eames went to Goren's desk, and flipped thru his rolodex. "I don't, but Bobby does."

"Will he talk to you?"

"When I tell him what happened to Bobby? Without a doubt."

Grabbing his coat, "Let's go visit the tattoo parlor, then to see the other son of Mrs. Greene."

Logan managed not to start laughing until they went outside of the tattoo shop. "Goren has some interesting 'contacts'.

Blushing, Eames swore at him. "If you ever repeat what was said in there, I'll make sure the doctors will have to reattach your foot after they pull it out of your butt."

Holding his hands up in surrender, "I'm not saying anything!"

Grabbing the door to the SUV, "You better not."

After they both had climbed in the vehicle, and pulled into traffic, they resumed their conversation. "So, Goren's contact said that the tattoos were special?"

"Didn't you hear him?"

This time Logan blushed, "Well, after his comment, I was laughing too hard to hear him."

Shaking her head, Eames appeared annoyed. "I'm sure. Any way, as chance would have it, he was the one to do the tattoos several years ago. For two brothers, they brought the design in."

"So those tattoos are unique for the two Greene brothers." Turning his blinker on, "Ready to visit the other Greene brother?"

_Riker's, Wednesday Afternoon_

"So Todd, where is your big brother?" Logan demanded.

Shrugging his shoulders, "Man, I don't keep up with him. Check his apartment."

Eames shook her head, "Do you think we would be here talking to you if your brother was at his apartment? You don't have many choices right now. Cooperate and the judge just might go easy on you for."

Todd shook his head from side to side, finally looking over at his attorney. After seeing attorney nod, he let out a huge sigh. "Man, Davy was really upset after I got sent to prison for that drug charge. He thought the guy who arrested made me confess to stuff I wouldn't have to serve time for."

Logan and Eames gave each other a puzzled look, "But you received a reduced sentence since you confessed and cooperated."

"Davy ain't always that bright. Mom always told me I'd have to watch out for him. Only Davy thinks cause he's older he needs to watch out for me." Todd cocked his head off to one side, "Davy got it in his head that the guy who arrested me ruined my life."

Logan closed his eyes briefly, and leaned over him, "And you didn't think to tell us earlier that your older brother had a beef with the detective who arrested you and would up shoot?"

"Davy would do nothin' like that. He ain't that bright, but he ain't stupid enough to try and kill a cop. That's a needle upstate."

Eames slammed a picture of Greene's tattoo on the table, "Only you and your brother had this tattoo. An eyewitness to the shooting said someone with this tattoo shot Detective Goren. What does that tell you?"

Todd put his head in hands. "Aw, man. Davy what did you do?"

Logan leaned over Todd's shoulder and right next to his head, "Come on. You want to save your brother from a needle in the arm. You need to do the right thing. Tell us where you brother is hiding out."

"Davy, man. Ah hell."

Eames's patience began to wear very thin, "Tell us where you brother is."

Todd laid his head down on the table briefly, then sat up. He stared at Eames eyes for a few seconds, "He got some friends who have a place over on 45th. If Davy wanted to hide, that would be where he would hide out at."

Eames slid a pad of paper and a pen over to him. "Write down the name and address."

_87__th__ block of 45__th__ Street, Wednesday Night_

Logan, Eames and Ross finished putting their vests on. The NYPD logo stood out against the dark material. A couple of detectives from the Computer Crimes division doubled checked the equipment inside the van. Logan and Eames double checked their weapons.

Ross held one hand up over his left ear, then nodded. "The SWAT team is ready to go. Remember, we want this guy alive, not full of holes. But if he resists, don't hesitate to shoot."

Logan nodded, "We got it boss." Glancing at Eames, "Let's go."

The three of the exited the van at the same time that the SWAT team in the van next to them exited. Ross gathered everyone around him for last minute instructions, "Has everyone seen the photo of the suspect?" After seeing everyone nod, he continued, "We are after David Greene. Consider him armed and extremely dangerous. I want him captured, alive and able to talk. If he shot one of our own, I want him to answer for it. Everyone understand? Good, Let's go."

Guns drawn, Logan and Eames lead the charge into the old warehouse building. The members of the SWAT followed them. The doors of the warehouse busted open, and the officers poured in.

David Greene, called Davy by his family and a few friends, sat huddled up in a corner trying to keep warm. He didn't like these people that lived here. They drank and smoked. Everything stank. He wanted to go home, but he knew that they would be looking for him there. Then he heard the screams. Davy knew he had to get out of their. Over the screams, he had men yelling orders.

The warehouse had at one point been a factory of some sort. Metal stairs lead to hanging walkways running around building. Plywood boards were propped up to create different rooms and sections. Mattresses lay around place, trash and empty pizza boxes covered the floor. Light came from a few swaying light bulbs hanging from makeshift poles. Davy had studied the layout of the warehouse over the past few days. She made sure that he knew how to get out of there in a hurry if he needed to. He just wishes she would call him, just hearing her voice would be helpful.

Suddenly he began hearing yells and screams; he knew he had only one chance of making it out of there. He had to run. And run now.

Logan darted around the groups that began to lay on the floor. Needles and other drug paraphernalia littered the floor. Logan moved to secure an open area under some stairs near him. Behind him, he heard the SWAT team members yelling at those that called his trash heap home. Despite all the noise, he could still hear Ro

Ross's voice over the clamor giving orders.

As Logan neared the stairs, he saw something move. Raising his gun, he yelled "Come on out of there."

Fast as lightening, Davy tried to run past Logan and up the stairs. Just his bad luck that his jeans caught on a corner of the stairs, causing him to trip. Logan didn't hesitate; he grabbed the back Davy's shirt, with his gun pressed to the back of his head. "Don't even think about moving." Davy whole body relaxed, as the fight left him. He blew it.

_Major Case Interrogation Room_

Logan and Eames stood watching Davy Greene in the interrogation room. Ross joined them, handing each of them a cup of coffee. "The ADA will be here shortly, but he called and said to go ahead and start questioning this guy."

Logan nodded, and handed Ross the report he had just been given, "Report from forensics."

"His jacket had GSR on it?"

Logan jerked his head towards the glass, "He has the tattoo that was seen, only two of which existed, plus this." He pointed at the report in Ross's hand, "The final nail in this guy's coffin would be Goren waking up and saying 'This guy shot me.'"

Ross studied the man sitting on the other side of the mirror. The tall, dark haired man sat wore an orange prison issue jumpsuit, since he's clothes were taken for evidence. Even though he was the only person in the room, he had curled up within himself, as if he was afraid to even touch the chair he sat on. His unkempt hair fell over his face, hiding his eyes and the scuff on his face.

Ross handed Logan back the report, "Do this by the book. I don't want this creep seeing daylight again."

Eames turned toward them, "Let's do this."

The gray metal door to the interrogation room opened, creaking slightly. Davy peered up at Logan and Eames as they walked into the room. Both detectives pulled up chairs to the table, and set their files on the table.

Logan, pretending to read the file in front of him, spoke first. "Davy, you are in a lot of trouble."

"I didn't do nothing. You can't prove anything." Davy proclaimed.

"No see, that's where you are wrong." Eames told him. "You see, two people place you at the scene. You followed a man, then when you had the opportunity, you shot him."

Shaking his head back and forth, "Noo. I . . . I didn't shoot anybody."

Logan smiled slightly, "You clothes say something different. GSR residue is all over your jacket and jeans. That tattoo on your arm was seen by an eye witness. Only two people have ever had that tattoo, you and your brother."

Eames leaned over the table, "You brother could have been there, since his armed has burned that tattoo beyond recognition."

Davy shrugged, "I didn't kill no cop."

Logan smiled, "We never said he was a cop." Davy's face reveled a stunned expression. Grinning even wider, "Why don't you tell us everything, but we ask Detective Goren."

"What? I thought you said that he was dead."

Eames smiled, "No, he survived the shooting. Now, why don't you tell us everything?"

Two hours later, Logan and Eames finally walked out of the interrogation room. Ross meet them on the way our and congratulated them for solving the case. The ADA was still in the room trying to work out a plea agreement.

As Eames and Logan headed for their respective desks, one of the officers stopped them, "Hey, there's a message for you two from the hospital. It's about Goren."

Neither of them hesitated. Both of them grabbed their jackets and headed for the elevators.


	9. Chapter 9

_Mercy General Hospital_

Eames fidgeted in the elevator, mentally swearing at the slow speed the elevator seemed to be moving. Logan stood next her, rocking on his heels, trying to keep his own nervous energy under control. Once the elevator stopped, they both darted out and practically ran down the hallway to Goren's room.

Alex opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks. The room was empty. The bed was made, with the white sheets pulled tight across. Black monitors screens reflected Alex's image back to her. The green painted walls gave the entire room a sterilized appearance. There was no sign that Robert Goren had spent the past week fighting for his life in that room.

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Logan put his hand on Alex's shoulder, and then stepped into the hallway. Stopping a blonde headed nurse, he quickly asked, "Do you know where the patient that was in this room is?"

The nurse gave Logan an irritated glance and shrugged her shoulders. "He's gone." Then she stalked off down the hallway.

Blood drained from Alex's face. Gone. One simple word, yet the impact of it crushed her. Tears began flowing down her face. Looking at Logan, she tried to speak, but the words felt choked in her throat. She began to shake and tears streamed down her face. Bobby gone? It didn't seem possible. This was the man who stood in front of death numerous times, and walked away each time. He had outsmarted more criminals than she could count, and they all faced justice, save one. He had descended into to hell, and then walked out of Tates Correctional Facility alive. He had faced the lion, only now to fall on his way to dinner?

Unable to stop them, sobs escaped Alex's throat. The world seemed to stop. Logan reached out and grabbed Alex, and held her close while she cried. Tears fell from his eyes, as the loss of the detective hit him as well. Time seemed to stand still; moments went by like hours, the pain ripping through them. Logan tried to say something, but there was nothing that he could say. No words would ease that pain.

After appeared to be an eternity, a voice brought them both back to the current moment, "Alex? Mike?"

Turning, they saw Rena. Alex pushed Mike slightly to the side, and reached for Rena. "Rena, what can I say?"

Perplexed, Rena looked back and forth between the two detectives. "What?" Then understanding crossed her face. Her expression turned into compassion and understanding. "Didn't they give you my message? Alex, Bobby's fine. He woke up a few hours ago. The doctors took him downstairs to run a few more tests on him. He's fine; he's going to be just fine."

Mike Logan's eyes darkened briefly. "I'm going to kill Price. He should have told us the full message."

Alex appeared stunned. "Goren's ok? He's not . . . ?"

"No, he's fine. A bit groggy from the medication, but he's already campaigning to leave the hospital."

Alex grabbed Rena's hand, "He's ok?"

Smiling, "Yes, he is. He'll be back up here in a few minutes. I know he'll want to see both of you."

"Good. Then I can kill him for scaring me half to death." Alex replied.

At that moment, nurses and orderlies wheeled Goren back into his room. Alex, Logan and Rena followed him into the room. The orderlies left while the nurses worked at getting him resettled. Goren opened his eyes, blinking several times as if he was trying to focus on the people around him.

Alex spoke up first, "Good to see you still with us partner."

"Eames," Goren managed to whisper.

size"3" Logan leaned over Alex's shoulder, "Hey Goren. I see that you've managed to get some of the prettiest women in New York at your bedside."

Goren grinned, "Too bad I couldn't skip the getting shot part."

Logan grinned and gripped his shoulder, "You'll be back in next to no time, Goren."

Rena moved over to the other side of the bed, holding his left hand. "I'm just glad you're back with us."

The nurse interrupted them, "Ok, you've all gotten to see him. Visiting hours ended over an hour ago. Now, he'll be here in the morning. Gone on, scoot!" Goren raised a hand in protest, to which the nurse shot him a sharp glare.

Logan raised his hands in surrender, "We'll see you tomorrow, Goren."

Alex nodded, and squeezed his shoulder. "See you tomorrow."

Rena settled into the chair next to Bobby's bed, pulling a blanket into her lap. The nurse narrowed her eyes at Rena, "Miss, I believe the name tag here says Abby Ryan, RN. This means I am the nurse here. You are not a patient; you are a visitor." She shook her finger at Rena, "You haven't been home since he got in here. Go home, get a shower and sleep in your own bed. He'll be here in the morning, probably giving us hell and trying to get out of the hospital before he's ready."

Rena's stunned expression made Goren chuckle. He didn't doubt for one minute that she had stayed at the hospital the entire time he had been unconscious. He clasped her hand, "Go home, sweetheart. I'll be waiting for you in the morning."

"But. . ."

"No buts about it. Go home, missy. Get some real sleep." The nurse's Cajun accent deepened slightly, "Heaven's sake child, you look a mess from sleeping here the past week. Get some sleep and make yourself pretty for this young man here. He's too good looking to let him slip through your fingers."

Rena narrowed her eyes. Goren grinned and squeezed her hand, "Go on. I'll be here waiting for you come to come back."

"I love you, Bobby Goren."

"I love you back, Rena Reynolds."

_Two Weeks Later, Goren-Reynolds Residence_

Bobby slowly made his way around the kitchen. After two weeks in the hospital and a week at home, he was slowly regaining his strength. The doctors planned on keeping him off work for another three weeks. Three long weeks in Bobby's opinion. He was itching to get his hands on some of his case files, yet Eames refused to bring any of the cases they were working on by his apartment. After two weeks, he was getting restless.

He rubbed his left hand through his hair. Tomorrow, he and Rena would be flying to see her family in Nashville. He almost wished that Ross would call him in. Nervous didn't seem to fully describe what he felt, but it was darn close.

Slowly stirring the sauce, Bobby took a small taste. Satisfied, he turned the temperature down on the stove, and opened the oven to check on the chicken. While he preferred veal parmesan, Rena favored chicken. Tonight, he wanted her favorite. He wanted everything to be perfect. Just as he pulled the chicken out of the oven, the doorbell rang. Throwing his oven mitts down on the counter he went to the door.

Alexandra Eames stood on the other side of his apartment door with a sly grin on her face. "How are you doing, Goren?"

"A lot better if you're bringing me some case files to work on."

Grinning even bigger now, "No, I brought something better."

"Better?"

She handed him a sealed brown envelope. "Ross asked me to hang on to this, but I haven't had a chance to bring it by to you."

Bobby opened the envelope, "oh, um . . . um . . . I thought that . . . I thought that this was stolen."

"Ross was given your belongings right after you were shot. He told me to hang on to it, so you could ask in your own time. I think he was scared to tell Rena what you had planned that evening."

"Eames," Bobby paused momentarily, "Did you ever think that our friendship would ever. . ." he left the question hanging in the air.

Alex softly smiled at Bobby, "Only once, and I woke up screaming and in a cold sweat." She then pointed behind her, "I've got to get going. Mike's taking me out for a couple of drinks."

"Eames, thanks."

"See you when you get back, Goren."


	10. Chapter 10

_**Epilogue**_

Guests started arriving at the Lighthouse. Located at Chelsea Piers, the view of the Hudson River was breathtaking. Sparkling jewels of gold and amber from the reflecting sunlight accented the red and gold roses that made up the arch near the lighthouse's grand balcony. Workers hurried worked to finish the preparations prior to the start of the ceremony.

Upstairs Mike Logan fidgeted with his tie. Hearing laughter from behind him, he turned around, frowning. Alexandra Eames stood leaning against the door frame, with a huge Cheshire grin on her face. Growling, he glared at her, "Tell me again why I agreed to wear this monkey suit?"

Giggling, Alex walked over to him and began to fix the tie on his tuxedo. "For the same reason I agreed to get all dressed up. Admit it; you were honored to have been asked to be in the wedding party."

Frowning, he turned back to look at the mirror. Satisfied with the way he appeared, he grinned over at Alex, "So, what was you're reaction?"

"You're kidding, right? After hanging onto the ring for over a week? I was more worried that he would chicken out and not ask her."

"I was hoping that he would." Grinning at Alex's expression, "What? How else was I going to get a date with her?"

Alex tried to keep a stern look on her face, but fail miserably. Punching him in the arm, "You're just wrong, Mike."

A voice from the hallway got both of their attention. "What else is new? Logan never knew how to stay out of trouble. "

"Captain Deakins!" Alex greeted him warmly.

After giving Alex a hug, "Call me Jimmy. I'm not your captain anymore."

Mike shook his head, "You'll always be Captain in my book, sir."

James Deakins smile brightens, "So, how's the groom?"

Mike and Alex took a quick glance at each other, before breaking out into laughter. Mike recovered first, "You know, I have never really seen Goren nervous before. But, at the rate he's going, they're going to have to replace the floor in there," he jerked his thumb towards a room down the hall, "with all the pacing he's doing."

Jimmy laughed, "Little nervous, is he?"

Another voice echoed him, "Detective Goren, nervous? I never thought I would see the day."

Alex laughed, "Who let you in? I thought California District Attorney's had to stay downstairs."

Ron Carver shook heads with Mike, Alex and Jimmy before replying to Alex's taunt, "And miss this? Not in a million years. I reschedule three court dates for this."

Alex beamed, "I'm sure Bobby appreciates it, Mr. Carver."

The three laughed and shared stories and news over the past few years. Each of the saving the more juicy tidbits for after the ceremony. Alex introduced Ron to Rena's son, Jason, who managed to escape and wander into the room they were in.

A knock on the doorframe from one of the servers interrupted them, and informed everyone that the service would be starting shortly. Alex, Danny and Elizabeth quickly excused themselves, Danny and Elizabeth heading downstairs to be seated and Alex down the hall to join the other bridesmaids.

Mike and Jimmy took Jason's hands and walked down the hall to where Bobby was getting ready. Jimmy lightly knocked on the door. The door flew open, to show Bobby dressed in his tux, yet the tie still undone.

Jimmy smiled, "About ready, Bobby?"

"I will be if I can ever get this . . . this thing tied."

Mike wisely covered the grin on his face, while Jason giggled. Jimmy just smiled, and took Bobby over to the mirror to help him.

After the tie was fixed, Bobby looked at both men, "Have I told you how much I appreciate the two of you standing up there with me?"

Jimmy patted Bobby's arm, "Heck, son. I was honored that you asked me. Even more so that you asked me to be your best man."

Mike squirmed a bit, "Hey, it's not big deal."

Bobby appeared ready to argue, but Lewis, the third groomsman, entered the room. "Hey, it's time to take our places downstairs."

Bobby stood nervously under the flower covered arch. He never imaged he would actually be so lucky. Studying the room, he realized how lucky he really was. Three of his best friends stood behind him. In the room, he saw almost every member of the Major Case squad, including Ross, Rodgers, Richie and others. For a moment, he wondered who was covering the squad's case load, but those thoughts vanished quickly as the music started.

Amanda Roberts, one of Rena's best friends from home, walked out first, followed by Alex, and then Rena's best friend Sarah. All three women wore long maroon dresses, each dress a slightly different shade, but complementary to each other. Mike couldn't resist winking at both Alex, and Sarah, the maid of honor. Mike mentally made a note to dance with both women that evening.

At the sound of the wedding march, everyone rose and all eyes were on the bride. Bobby held his breath, stunned at the beauty before him. Rena began her walk down the aisle, wearing a sleeveless ivory gown, accented with red. Small ivory colored roses were in her hair. Her auburn hair falling softly against her bare shoulders. As she walked down, she only had eyes for Bobby.

For Bobby, time seemed to stop. Never before, had he ever seen any woman look so beautiful. Jimmy leaned over to him and whispered, "Breathe, Bobby. It wouldn't do to have you pass out before you marry the girl." Almost reluctantly, he let out the breath he had been unconsciously holding.

The rest of the service was a blur. Bobby vaguely remember repeating the vows and putting the ring on her finger. He barely heard the priest tell him he could kiss the bride. He reached up and cupped her face with his hand. Leaning over, he kissed his wife, ever so gently for the first time. He felt lost in that moment. Never before had he felt such love for one person, and know that he received that love in return.

On the baloney overlooking the service and reception, two individuals stood watching the proceedings. Neither of them was very impressed with the event. The woman wrinkled her nose in disgust, and turned to the dark haired man next to her. "Come on, dear. I don't think we'll be able to do anything today. He had a bigger wedding that I anticipated. Probably due to that new Miss Goody he just married."

Looking a little wide-eyed and strung out, "But we'll get him back? For what he did to me and you?"

Placing her arm around him, "Of course, dear. Don't worry; dear old Bubby will get what is coming to him. And you'll be there to hear the splash." Brushing her blonde hair out of the way, she walked out of the lighthouse.

The reception was in full swing by the time the new Mr. & Mrs. Goren arrived downstairs. Cheers went up in the crowd as they emerged. The music started for the newly married couple to take their first dance. Bobby had a mischievous grin on his face as he lead Rena out onto the dance floor. Slowly, they danced, forgetting briefly that anyone else was there. About half way through the song, Mike led Alex onto the floor, followed by the rest of the wedding party.

Mike made sure that he danced another dance with Alex, before getting a dance with the maid of honor, Sarah. Mike even got brave enough to grab a dance with Rena, telling Bobby that he had to show the bride what a real dancer was.

None of the members of the Major Case squad, or past members for that matter, could keep a straight face when Elizabeth Rodgers caught the bouquet. No one even tried to hide their laughter, when minutes later, Danny Ross ended up with the garter in his hand. Danny swore than any of his detectives even mention they would find themselves in Staten Island. Sarah earned the admiration of all the detectives, and secured her first date with Mike Logan, by announcing she would send copies of the picture to their office.

The reception began to settle down. Goodbyes were said, and Bobby led Rena out onto the dance floor for one last dance. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Bobby pulled his new wife close to him, "I love you, Mrs. Goren."

"I love you back, Mr. Goren."


End file.
